Supporting research to improve the health of Indigenous children

Dr Middleton was awarded the scholarship for her PhD work on ‘Strategies to reduce the burden of gastroenteritis in Aboriginal children’. She is jointly enrolled at the Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University.

Dr Middleton says she is honoured to be in the company of the many excellent researchers in the past awardees list. She is passionate about Aboriginal child health and works in both a clinical and research capacity.

The Douglas and Lola Douglas Scholarship in medical science is offered as a ‘top-up’ scholarship to a high-ranked PhD candidate awarded a National Health and Medical Research Council Training Scholarship in either Indigenous or primary health care, with preference given to Indigenous health research.

It is awarded initially for one year (currently $7,000 per annum) with funding available for a maximum of two years. The award covers costs of small items of equipment, research materials, travel, or research assistance.

The scholarship is made possible through a generous bequest made by Lola Rachel Maude Douglas, a philanthropist with a keen interest in medical research.

Bianca Middleton (second from left), with team members Clare McKay, Jane Nelson and Tom Snelling.